It certainly is a gas system - piston driven NO. The bolt is not a piston. Call it what you will. I will call the Standard AR a direct infringement rifle since the bolt is directly impacted on by the gas from the round fired. There is nothing but a tube between the barrel and the bolt for the gas to travel down.

Interesting read.
I'm not an expert on AR's by any means and my understanding is based on the Adams Arms piston having the piston end of the rod mounted directly at the gas port of the barrel. The piston rod then extends into the breech and acts upon the bolt. Hence they run cleaner because gas is not entered directly into the breech.
Whereas the gas impingement/gas operated pipes the gas directly inside the breach and the gas acts directly on the bolt. Hence they run dirtier.

I cannot think of a piston driven rifle that as you say doesn't have an option rod. - what I call the piston. Perhaps other than the AR is there one? I know that FN FAL , FN49, M14, Garlands all have them.

And BTW I use to call the AR a DI system back when I was just shooting them. I didn't just wake up one day and realize it was wrong, I made a point to educate myself and really study up on my chosen weapons. I intend to move into the industry and figure I should do no less.

Click to expand...

same, but I still say DI and piston to avoid the conversation lol......I like to read it every now and then anyway so thank you.....its nice to bring some facts to the webz every now and then

Honestly I don't even enter into the whole dispute between op rod and gas tubes anymore with folks , everyone who is sold on them think they have just found a way to have their cake and eat it too but really they just added weight, reciprocating mass and a few un needed moving parts but hey the lazy bastards don't have to clean a BCG anymore so yippy.......lazy has sold a lot of crap over the years

Okay, so as I'm not much of a student of the AR, more of a fan, does that mean that my 'piston' Ruger SR-556e is, in fact, a piston AR? It has the gas control dial, unlike the usual AR's I see. Or does it fall under the hybrids you're discussing here?

Easier to type "DI vs. piston" than to type out "piston vs operating rod AR." Even if it is wrong. Less arguing about it too.

But as for owning either one, I have a few regular ARs and a piston. My only piston is a PWS Mk216. Which doesn't have that many moving parts. Not too heavy compared to the LMT MWS I originally wanted either. I'm of the mind that you either get one, the other, or both. Just keep to yourself and not argue which is better.

Okay, so as I'm not much of a student of the AR, more of a fan, does that mean that my 'piston' Ruger SR-556e is, in fact, a piston AR? It has the gas control dial, unlike the usual AR's I see. Or does it fall under the hybrids you're discussing here?

I'm sorry to get in on this so late:
In the age of the internet it seems strange that long established, codified definitions of firearm mechanical systems are still being confused and misused, but they are. I see people and even ammo companies use the term 45 Long Colt even though that chambering has never existed. Even during my tenure in the US Army Ordnance Corps I would come across soldiers that swore that a 7.62 Russian round was interchangeable with a 7.62 NATO round.
While stationed at the USOCAS Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD one of my duties was to curate the M-16 archive. The archive had copies of every available civilian and military document associated with the M-16, M-16A1 even going back to the AR-10. All of this info is found on the net plus a huge amount more.
As a side note the term "Mil Spec" refers to an item or system produced and tested to a set of production standards whose goal (for firearms) is to ensure a firearm will function for 90 days in a combat environment with proper maintenance. This ain't rocket surgery kids.

.This double function consists of the bolts primary function to lock the breach against the pressure of firing, and secondarily, to act as a stationary piston to actuate the automatic rifle mechanism..

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